


Days Apart

by intersstellar



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians - Rick Riordan, The Heroes of Olympus - Rick Riordan
Genre: Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Angst with a Happy Ending, Camp Half-Blood (Percy Jackson), Canon Compliant, Canon Era, Canon Universe, Cuddling & Snuggling, Curtain Fic, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Headcanon, Mutual Pining, Percy Jackson Actually Has ADHD, Poor Percy, Sleepy Cuddles, Swearing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-10
Packaged: 2021-01-25 17:41:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 8,399
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21360118
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/intersstellar/pseuds/intersstellar
Summary: Percy is fed up. With school, with the demigod world, with life. His only solace? Annabeth.Annabeth is doing fine. Just fine. Her life is mundane, and there's nothing she can do about it. She loves and longs for Percy.
Relationships: Annabeth Chase/Percy Jackson, Percy Jackson & Sally Jackson
Comments: 12
Kudos: 150





	1. PERCY

**Author's Note:**

> CW: Contains swearing.

Percy was exhausted. 

He pulled out his binder and set it on his desk, opening it to a bookmarked page and scanning the words. Teachers and students walked in and out of the classroom, brushing past him and jarring him out of thought. 

A teacher accidentally kicked his bag. He started again. Someone turned on the printer, which let out a round of squeaks. Again. Someone stumbled into the classroom and sat down clumsily in the desk beside him. They began whispering to the person beside them. Percy couldn’t catch what they were saying. 

He looked back at the page, a thick, sticky feeling filling him. Frustration built between his shoulders, twisting his mouth. His eyes watched the words on the page, too tired to read and understand them. 

He flipped to the first page of his binder. He’d attached a photo of Annabeth to the front cover, just like he had when he was fourteen. It was a polaroid —Annabeth had gotten a camera from his mom as a birthday present last July. He had worked during the summer to help buy it. 

He almost smiled at the photo. They had taken it in central park, sitting on a black bench surrounded by blooming flowers. She was sitting with her legs loosely crossed, wearing a brand new pair of converse she had gotten that day, and smiling like all the world was at her feet. He loved the photo. 

A teacher tapped his desk. His head jerked up and he flipped a page over the photo. 

He met her eyes, and didn’t miss the moment of apprehension that flashed across her features. The teacher scowled like it had never happened. “Doing work, Percy?” 

He nodded, and she gave him a look before she walked away. He couldn’t find the strength to open his binder again. His head was heavy. He felt like ripping his hair out. He so, so didn’t want to be here. 

Percy rubbed his face on his hoodie and breathed in the smell of his mom’s laundry detergent. The boy that had sat down next to him was still whispering with his friend. Percy glanced his way as he stood. 

The boy looked vaguely familiar. He was a freshman, probably, and was wearing a floppy cap and a baggy sweater that hung off his shoulders. 

Percy left the room, not looking behind him to see if any teachers tried to catch him. He wanted out, and he was going to get it. 

He walked down the hall to his locker. It was pretty much empty, all except for a textbook he had taken from class and forgotten about. Hung on the hook was one of Annabeth’s black scrunchies—she had forgotten it at his mom’s house. He had taken to carrying it around, just to remind himself that there was a girl, however far away, that he loved more than anything. That was real, and, craziest of all—that loved him back. 

Footsteps sounded down the hall. They were uneven and loud—probably a freshman heading to class. Percy closed his locker and turned, coming face to face with the baggy-clothed kid from before. 

The boy’s eyes widened. “Uh, sorry,” he sputtered. He looked down at Percy’s hands—he was still holding the scrunchie. 

Percy shoved his hands in his pockets and made to walk past him. The boy stumbled out of the way, even though they weren’t even close to hitting each other. “Uh, actually,” he said, “could you show me to the bathroom? I have to make a call.” 

Percy stopped his jaw from tightening. What was another minute? “Yeah, sure. It’s this way. Come on.” 

Percy walked down the hall, shoving his hands deeper into the pocket of his sweatshirt. The boy looked tentatively at him. Percy looked at the boy, then at the floor. The freshman walked with a strange rhythm, almost like a limp. 

By the time they reached the bathroom, the back of Percy’s head was tingling, the way it did when he was starting to piece something together. 

The boy’s voice echoed in the bathroom, and Percy could still hear it clearly as he walked down the hall. 

“O’ Iris goddess of the rainbow, please accept my offering.” 

Percy froze. The limp, the hat, the call... 

Fuck. 

_Fuck_. __

_ _

_ _He was a satyr. Percy vaguely recognized him from camp, though he couldn’t remember his name. _ _

_ __ _

“--Having a problem,” the satyr said. “What should I do?” 

__

“Are you at the school?” Chiron. “Find Percy Jackson, he’ll help you. I’m sure he’s seen the girl.” 

__

Percy sped down the hall. He just wanted a year at school, and to be a counsellor in the summer. He was in no way up for fighting monsters today. No monsters, no gods, no nothing. He turned the corner, out of sight of the bathroom. Percy heard the satyr's steps thumping down the hall behind him. 

__

Percy half-jogged down the hall, willing the boy to slow a little. He couldn’t hear him anymore. 

__

__

__

He turned another corner and balked, almost colliding face-first with the satyr. 

__

Percy bit back a sigh. He ducked his head. “Sorry, I’ll just—” He pushed past the satyr, feeling a little guilty when he stumbled. 

__

The boy reached out and touched his arm. “Hey, wait,” he said. “Are you... are you Percy? Jackson?” 

__

This time Percy did sigh, a little. He turned. “Yeah. That’s me.” 

__

The satyr let out a breath, smiling. “Woah, really? I mean,” he added, “I’m glad I found you. I thought it was you, but I wasn’t really sure; it’s just that I’m never at camp, and so when I saw you in the hall I thought _Hey, that kind of looks like Percy Jackson_, but then I was like, _No, it can’t be him_, and—” ____

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Percy held up a hand. “Uh, it’s nice to see you, but I just really have to go.” He almost turned, but forced himself to ask, “Is there a problem?” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

The satyr looked sheepish. Goat-ish. Whatever. “Actually, yes. There’s a Hecate girl. At this school. She came here to try to go to school, but she’s being attacked too much. I was supposed to pick her up, but... well, I can’t find her.” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Percy took off his hood. “Okay, well where were you supposed to meet?” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

“That’s the thing. She’s not here—she never showed up for school.” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Percy swallowed. It was almost the end of class. Students would be flooding the halls anytime now. “I’m sure she’s fine. Keep looking.” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

The satyr looked at him with a pleading look. “Could you help me find her? Please? It’s my first assignment. I really don’t want to screw this up.” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Percy almost said no. He just wanted to go home. He could fall on his bed and stay there until Annabeth got home from school, then he’d call her, and they could talk forever. He could end the call with Annabeth when they were both watery-eyed with sleep, then drift off with her voice still fresh in his ears. He could tell her he loved her and that he would see her soon when they went to Camp together for the long weekend in two weeks. He could forget all of this. 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

But then he thought of himself, twelve years old, on his first quest--wouldn’t he have killed for someone to help them? Then his mind landed on Grover, and there was no leaving this satyr now. 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

“Okay. Fine. Where do we start?” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

The satyr melted with relief. “Thank you! I mean, uh, thanks. Her friends say they missed her after her first-period class, which means she can’t be too far. I think I’ll search the grounds.” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Percy nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. The satyr kept glancing back at him, murmuring, “Wow, Percy Jackson. Percy Jackson. Wow.” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

Percy laughed through his nose. “Yeah. That’s me.” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

The satyr seemed surprised he heard. “There are so many stories about you at camp—is it true you fell off the Golden Gate arch?” 

_ _ _ __ _ _ _

_I fought Kronos. I killed a giant. I got all the Olympians to pay their child support_. This _is the story that they tell_? “Yeah,” he said. “That’s true.” ____

_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Wow,” the satyr breathed. “And is it true you’re friends with the Lord of the Wild? Grover Underwood?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _

He laughed out loud now, in earnest. The satyr flinched, and Percy’s smile dimmed. “Yeah, that’s true.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _

They walked in silence. The two turned a corner, and someone plowed full force right into Percy. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _

They both went sprawling. Percy instinctively clutched the person tightly and rolled, hitting the ground with the jolt and coming out on top. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _

A freshman girl looked up at him, panting hard with eyes wide. Percy scrambled to stand, dusting himself off. The satyr—Percy had forgotten to ask his name, he probably should stop calling him _satyr_—helped the girl up. “Catherine!” he exclaimed. “What happened?” __

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Catherine pointed down the hall, still breathing hard. “Monster,” she panted. “Big. Coming.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy could hear it now. Something was pounding down the hall, and it was getting close. He threw his backpack to the side. The monster turned the corner, and Percy reached into his pocket. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The monster looked like a boar, except three times bigger and much, much faster. Annabeth would know the name for it. Percy uncapped his sword and waited for the animal to get closer. It was big, and only fast because it had momentum. Percy ran out of the way when the boar reached him at the end of the hall, and sunk his sword into the monster’s side just before he crashed into the wall. The boar melted into dust. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy tapped his sword against the ground, watching the monster dust rain off the blade. He capped it and turned back to the satyr and the girl. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They watched him with wide eyes, breathing hard. He walked towards them and picked up his backpack. The satyr skittered away when he got close. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Are you going to camp now?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The satyr nodded, gulping. “Th-there was a taxi coming for us, but it would be gone by now.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy nodded. He was tired. His side hurt from being tackled to the ground. The sticky feeling that had been following him around all morning was trickling back, settling in his stomach like a rock. He ran his hands through his hair. “I’ll... come with you.” What was a week of school worth? “But I have to pass by my mom first. She can drive us.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The girl looked at him like he was the monster she was running from. Percy dropped his hands and twisted the hem of his shirt. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“This is Percy Jackson,” the satyr said to the girl, pointing to Percy. “He’s a counsellor at camp.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Catherine wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Nice to meet you,” she murmured. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He nodded. “Let’s go.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They found a taxi and got inside. Percy gave the driver his mom’s address. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was a short drive. Percy reached into his pocket to pull out his cash and the black scrunchie he had put there earlier fell out of his pocket. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He snatched it off the ground, and caught the demigod girl watching. Percy handed the cab driver the money and clenched the scrunchie in his fist. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy led them up the stairs and to his mom’s apartment. The door was unlocked, and for a moment Percy thought something might have happened, but then he pushed it open and the smell of laundry washed over him. He smiled, wide and full, for the first time that day. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Mom?” he called. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Percy?” His mom came out of their laundry room. She was wearing a long dress with bright yellow flowers on it. She gave him a hug. “Shouldn’t you be at school?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Yeah, we, uh, had a problem.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She pulled away and put a hand on the side of his face. “What happened?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He pulled away from her and waved inside the satyr and the girl, who were standing awkwardly in the hallway. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Mom, this is Catherine, daughter of Hecate.” His mom flashed Percy a look, and he nodded. “Yeah. This is her protector...” He gestured to the satyr. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He jumped. “Corey! It’s nice to meet you, Mrs. Jackson.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She smiled, but Percy could tell it was one of her fake ones. Her customer service smile, leftover from when she worked retail to pay for Percy’s private schools. “It’s nice to meet you, Corey. Why don’t you and your friend wait in the living room? It’s right down that way. I’m assuming you’re staying for dinner?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“No,” Percy stopped her, “they’re going to camp. I was hoping you could drive us?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Us?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I’ll go early. It’s only a week.” She gave him another look. She did that a lot, talk only through her eyes. “I know. It’ll be fine,” he said. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

His mom smiled again at the freshmen. “Okay, then. I can drive you. You two can go wait while Percy packs his things, okay?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They nodded and shuffled to the living room, talking in hushed tones. Percy brushed past his mom soundlessly, heading into his room. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

It was still messy from the week. There were papers on his desk, and clothes thrown on the floor. He sunk into his bed. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He turned at a knock on his doorframe. His mom walked inside holding a cup of water. She gave it to him and sat down on the bed next to him. She wrapped an arm around him and brought him in against her, holding him firmly but not tightly, the way she’d done for a long time. It always calmed him down. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She ran her other hand through his hair. “Everything okay?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He sighed, feeling her fingers on his head. She smelled like fabric softener. “They find me every time, mom. Every time. I think I’m having a normal day, and they find me. Every goddamn time.” She kept stroking his hair, kept holding him tight. “Why won’t they leave me alone? I’ve done enough. I’m tired of this.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I know,” she said. “I know.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Did you know it was Chiron that told him to find me? The satyr? Chiron. I thought I’d finally done enough for him. I thought I’d finally be able to go to a normal school, to have normal friends. I thought I’d be able to, I don’t know, have a fucking life?” She didn’t chastise his language like she usually did. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The water in the cup in his hand was making a little whirlpool, spinning fast and faster. He unclenched his hand, and the water stilled. Something hit the ground. It was the black scrunchie he’d forgotten he’d been holding. He bent away from his mom to pick it up. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She asked, “Is that Annabeth’s?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He nodded, putting it around his wrist. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Have you called her?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He’d forgotten. Then again, he wasn’t sure he wanted to now. He was fed up and exhausted. He would call her when this shit was over. Chiron would let him call from the big house landline. Then he’d be able to tell her that all was okay, he was happy and at camp a little early but so excited to see her. Maybe she’d come early. His heart ached at the thought of seeing her again. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I’ll call her later,” he said. His mom frowned. He stood. “I’d better get packing.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Okay,” she said, standing. She was still eyeing him. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He nodded, picking up clothes off the floor. She left. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy emptied his backpack and shoved his clothes inside. He would take the demigod and her protector to camp, and then see Annabeth. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He’d see Annabeth, after all this. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He thought of the polaroid tucked into his binder, of her sitting in central park surrounded by wildflowers. Smiling and golden and radiant. He speared towards that image like the light at the end of a tunnel. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

* * *

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy’s mom dropped them off at the bottom of Half-Blood Hill. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

They crested the hill, and the feeling hit Percy all at once. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He was a camp. Finally. It made him giddy. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He turned to the freshmen, a smile tugging at his mouth. He spread his arms, feeling more light than he had in a while. Camp had that effect. It must be the strawberry smell. “Welcome to Camp Half-blood.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The satyr smiled. “Thank you, Percy Jackson. I can take her from here.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He nodded. “Sounds good. Ask Chiron if you need anything.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

"Thanks again!” the satyr yelled as Percy walked down the hill towards the Big House. He waved back. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He needed to have a talk with Chiron. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He jogged up the stairs and pushed the door to the Big House open. A young demigod and a satyr were walking down the hall towards him, the satyr gesturing as he talked and the demigod looking like he wanted to melt. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey,” Percy said, and they stopped immediately. The demigod was looking at him with wide eyes. “Do you know where Chiron is?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The satyr swallowed. “He’s doing archery training. In the pavilion.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Thanks.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

As soon as he turned away, the demigod whispered, “Was that Percy Jackson?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Shh,” the satyr hushed. “Yeah, that’s him. I’m pretty sure.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy took the stairs two at a time, and their voices faded as they left the house. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He walked into his usual room and set his backpack down on the bed. It used to be Rachel Dare’s room, before she got her cave. The Poseidon cabin was lonely without Annabeth, and scary to wake up to after a nightmare. The cabins-by-godly-parent rule had to be strictly enforced for the younger campers, which meant they couldn’t sleep together, so Chiron had them stay in this room. Here, they could sleep side by side—and wake each other from the night terrors that plagued them. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy shut the door behind him and left the Big House. He walked to the archery range. Chiron was teaching a class, trotting back and forth between the ranks of campers. He turned and saw Percy, and his face lit with a smile. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Percy!” he called, coming towards him. He patted Percy’s shoulder. “It’s good to see you, my boy.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy nodded. “Actually, I wanted to talk to you.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Chiron nodded and turned to the campers. They were all standing, bows down, not-so-discreetly staring at Percy. He tried to pretend he didn’t notice. “Practice your stances,” Chiron told them. “I’ll be back.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Chiron led Percy away, out of earshot of the campers. “What’s the matter?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy rubbed his palms on his pants. “I, uh... Well, I heard Corey’s call. His Iris message. With you.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Chiron contemplated for a second, and then his face fell. “I asked him to find you.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy nodded, looking at the ground. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Chiron’s tone was tender. “I got you involved. I’m sorry, Percy.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy nodded again. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Chiron sighed. “It was necessary. For the mission. For the satyr. I know you wanted to have a regular year, Percy.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

One year. One fucking year. It wasn’t that difficult. Rage was starting to bubble in the pit of his stomach. He clenched his fists. All Chiron had to do was leave him alone. For once. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He didn’t say any of that. “I know,” he said instead, still looking at Chiron’s hooves. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Percy.” Chiron was looking at him, he could feel it. He looked up and met his gaze. It was sad and solemn, but firm. “I’ll do everything I can to stop it from happening again. I’m sorry.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

All the anger evaporated out of him, as quickly as it had come. “Okay. It’s okay. Thanks, Chiron.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Chiron patted his shoulder and walked back to the campers, who were still sneaking looks at Percy. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy waved at the campers, but it felt empty. Nevertheless, they waved back. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He turned and made his way back to the Big House. Gods, he felt washed out. His hands might’ve been shaking. He was tired, and drained. He pushed the door of the Big House open and walked inside. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He went upstairs, but not to his room—into Chiron’s office, where they had an old landline. He unplugged it and took it into his room. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He plugged it back in and dialled Annabeth’s number from memory. She’d written it on his hand once, after she’d changed it, and he’d read it so many times it stuck. The phone rang once, twice... 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hello?” Annabeth’s voice came through, and Percy’s shoulders relaxed. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Annabeth,” he said, grinning. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Percy!” Her voice was bright. “Isn’t this the Camp landline?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He laughed a little. “Yeah. There was a problem with a protector at school, Chiron asked if I could bring them to camp.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

There was a scraping noise, and then her voice, far away— “Shh! Okay, I’ll be back. Yeah. Give me a second.” Then back again, clear— “Oh, Percy,” she said sadly. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

His smile dimmed. “Yeah, I know. It’s okay now though. I’m here a little early, then.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Oh, good.” Smiling again. “I’m just heading home from school... Maybe I’ll come tonight, too.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Really?” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She laughed. The sound filled him with such a giddy feeling he fell back on the bed. “Awesome. Awesome, awesome, awesome.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Okay,” she said warmly. “I’ll see you tonight, then.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

His cheeks hurt. “Yeah. Yeah.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

She made a contented little _hmm_. “Okay. I love you.” __

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“I love you.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The landline beeped. He put the phone down. He lay down for a minute, smiling at the ceiling. He felt refreshed—bright and sunny and gold. Like he’d chugged all the nectar on the planet. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He didn’t know how long he lay there before a knock sounded on the door. He sat up and called them in. A young camper poked his head inside. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

He opened his mouth to speak and froze, blinking. His eyes widened. “Ch-Chiron told me to come and get you—a counsellor is sick and there’s no one to teach sword fighting class. He thought you might want to do it.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

Percy smiled. “Sure. I’ll teach it.” 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The camper nodded, backing away. Percy checked his pocket for his sword and followed the camper out. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

The camper scampered off as soon as they were out of the Big House, and Percy walked to the arena. The campers were already inside—about fifteen of them, all looking under thirteen years old. Percy walked inside and took off his sweatshirt, tossing it inside. 

_ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _

“Hey everyone,” he said. The campers quieted, all their eyes on him. “I’m Percy.” 

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“Our teacher?” one of the campers called out from the back. The others around him nudged and shushed him. 

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Percy’s mouth quirked to the side. “Yeah. If you don’t have a sword, go and get one from the rack.” 

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While the campers swarmed the rack, Percy walked the lines of demigods who already had a sword, watching their form and feeling the blades’ balance in their hands. 

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He walked up to a blond camper—frail, maybe eleven years old. He looked at Percy with big eyes. “Show me your stance.” 

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The boy stepped into his stance. It was too wide—he was practically falling over. 

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“Here,” Percy said, standing beside him and stepping into a proper stance. “Like this.” 

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The boy watched him, unmoving. 

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“Move your legs,” Percy said patiently. “Match mine.” 

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The boy did, quickly and clumsily. “Good,” Percy said. The other campers had gotten swords and were standing to watch. Percy stepped in front of the boy and pulled out his sword, uncapping it. The campers gasped. Percy smiled. 

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“Let’s see what you’ve learned,” he said. The demigods had formed a ring around them, pushing each other to get a better look. 

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Percy jabbed at the demigod. The boy parried it with gusto, moving way more than he had to. Percy took the chance to step forward and lightly touch his chest with the tip of the sword. 

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The boy looked at Percy in shock. Percy faced the crowd and explained the mistake, then corrected the boy. They did it again, and fought until Percy disarmed his sword and sent it flying to the feet of the onlookers. 

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“That’s your technique for today. Find a partner and try it out.” 

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He fixed postures and stances and repeated the maneuver around the room. The young demigods carried out his instructions quickly—almost fearfully, as if he were holding a knife to their throats and telling them to do it. He found himself frowning. 

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Soon enough, the class was over, and he stood by the door as the campers filed out. None of them met his eyes, walking out silently, or quieting once they got near him. 

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Two of the campers were still sparring, jabbing clumsily at each other. 

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“Hey,” Percy said, approaching them. Their heads snapped towards him, and the dropped their swords immediately. Percy tried a smile. “Come on guys. You’ll miss your next activity.” 

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They scurried away. Percy picked their swords up off the ground. He walked over and put them on the rack, looking out through the arena doors. The next cabin was already walking over. They came inside, and Percy walked over to their counsellor. “I was just teaching the last class. Mind if I stick around?” 

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The counsellor nodded, smiling. Percy had seen him around, but couldn’t remember his name. “Sure.” 

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Percy took up a spot against the wall and watched as the campers picked their swords. He even spotted Catharine, the demigod girl he’d helped bring to camp that morning. This had to be the Hecate cabin, then. 

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Catherine spotted him and blanched. She looked away and began whispering to a girl beside her. She’d found a friend already. 

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Her friend was outright staring. He pretended not to notice. 

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The class had their swords, and were standing at the ready. The counsellor demonstrated an easy jab. The demigod girl Catherine and her friend were still talking, away from the demonstration. A boy seemed to catch part of their conversation and turned around. He looked at Percy and turned to tell his friends in front of him. The counsellor finished the demonstration and dismissed the campers. 

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The counsellor walked and corrected each set of partners. Seeming satisfied, he called all the campers back and tried to demonstrate a disarming technique, but the camper he tried it on kept dropping his sword too early. Percy approached them. “Need a hand?” 

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The counsellor smiled. “Thanks, Percy.” 

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Whispers and murmurs broke out like wildfire in the crowd. All eyes were on Percy. 

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He reached into his pocket and uncapped his sword. Chatter broke out in earnest, along with some gasps. Percy got into a stance, saying, “Go ahead.” 

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The counsellor balked. “Would you demonstrate for us?” 

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Percy nodded. He did the maneuver, slowly and gently, efficiently knocking the counsellor’s sword to the ground. Campers pushed each other to try to get a better look. 

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The counsellor explained the maneuver out loud again, then turned to Percy. “Can we do it while sparring? To show them?” 

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“Sure.” Percy got back in place. 

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They began. Percy started slow, trying to get a measure of the counsellor’s skill. He swung his sword at the counsellor’s legs, and he responded quickly, parrying and throwing Percy’s sword away. Percy moved faster, swinging at his head, then jabbing his chest. The counsellor blocked them both. 

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They continued for a minute or two, trading jabs and parries. The counsellor was good, but Percy didn’t break a sweat. The campers climbed over one another to watch. 

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Percy waited for his chance, then twisted the counsellor’s sword and pushed, so it would surely fall on the floor. The sword fell into the sand. Percy picked it up and handed it to the counsellor. 

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The campers dispersed to practice, but the class was almost over. “Can we do another match?” the counsellor asked Percy. “For them? Just so they can see what a real fight would be like?” 

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Percy smiled. “Yeah, sure.” 

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The counsellor called the campers and arranged them in a proper large circle so each could see. Percy took his place. They started. 

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He got into the steady rhythm of fighting with the counsellor, back and forth steadily. A little restless, Percy went faster. The counsellor faltered. Percy disarmed him, pointing his sword at his chest. The counsellor froze, his eyes wide as saucers. His chest rose and fell quickly, like he was caught in a trap. Percy stuck out a hand to help him up. 

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He hesitated, then moved away and stood on his own. He told the campers to put their swords on the rack. 

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Percy frowned, capping riptide and leaving the arena. It was almost dark—most of the cabins were already in the pavilion for dinner. 

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He walked over and filled a plate. He didn’t want to sit alone at his own table with everyone whispering and looking at him like he had three heads, and he definitely didn’t want to sit at the table with Chiron. He scraped a little of his food into the bonfire and left the pavilion, heading to the Big House. 

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Percy sat down on his bed and ate in silence, setting the plate on the bedtable when he finished. The same sticky feeling from before had filled him to the brim, spilling into his arms. He sighed, wrapping his arms around his torso. As much as he loved being here, he felt like an alien at camp. His friends weren’t here—Grover was off on one mission or another, Annabeth was at school... hell, even Clarisse wasn’t here to make him feel normal. He stood and went to watch his face in the washroom. His hands smelled like fighting arena sand. 

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Percy walked back into the room and sunk down on the bed again. He pulled Riptide out of his pocket and threw the pen into the air, catching it then throwing it again. He twirled it between his fingers. He couldn’t get the campers’ scared faces out of his head. Everyone treated him like he was a grenade about to go off—like he was a force to be feared. Even Chiron was a little apprehensive. 

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The room was dark, Percy realized. He reached over and turned on a lamp. The campers were sitting around the bonfire outside. Someone had brought a guitar, they were starting to sing. Percy breathed in the musty, homey smell of the room and listened to their almost-on-key singing. All the Apollo kids in New York and they still could never find the right pitch. 

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Someone opened the door. Percy hadn’t even heard them coming. 

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“Percy?” 

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Annabeth. A smile spread across his face. She turned on the light, opening the door all the way. 

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All the tension left Percy’s body. She was beaming at him, and his heart buzzed, warmth filling his shoulders. “Annabeth,” he breathed. He pulled her into a hug. 

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Her hair smelled like lavender and lemon. She pulled away and cupped his face, kissing him lightly. He wrapped his arms around her waist, smiling against her lips. 

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She tipped her head back to look at him. Her eyes were alight, glittering and lovely. “What is it?” 

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He shook his head. “I’m just so happy you’re here.” 

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She laughed. How wide could someone smile? He smiled that wide. “I love you.” She kissed him shortly again. 

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The terrible feeling was forgotten. Now that she was here—now that he was with her. One of the few ones who wasn’t scared of him, of his power. Who would look straight into his eyes without hesitation and tell him she loved him, and have no other thought in her mind. 

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He broke away. “Your bag,” he remembered. His mom would be appalled. 

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He helped her take her things and put them in the closet, then sat down on the bed against the headboard. She sat down beside him, weaving her fingers through his. He was grinning. She laid her head on his shoulder and sighed. 

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Lavender, lemon. Her curly blonde hair. Her head against his shoulder. Happiness and buzzing and love. 

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Annabeth yawned. “How was your day?” 

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His day? He didn’t want to think about it, not anymore. She was here now. “Better,” he said, “now.” 

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She tilted her head up to look at him, resting her cheek on his shoulder. “What happened?” 

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He told her. About the satyr. About Chiron. About the campers who startled around him and the counsellor who wouldn’t meet his eyes. She listened intently, rubbing her thumb on his hand. He finished, and she stayed silent. “But,” he said, “it’s okay now.” 

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Her eyebrows twitched together. “Yeah?” 

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He brought his face closer. “Yeah. You’re here.” 

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She hummed, closing her eyes. Percy laid his head on top of hers and felt her against him, matching her breathing with his own. 

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He fell asleep, and the warmth in his chest lasted him all through the night.

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**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry to everyone who had to read through so many writing (and HTML) mistakes I didn't notice! I've edited this now (about two months after posting), it should be a-okay. Thank you to everyone who left kudos (and comments!) despite the many mistakes, they mean very much to me.


	2. ANNABETH

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> This is Annabeth's side of the story. It starts later but happens simultaneously with Percy's.

Annabeth walked quickly through the crowd, squeezing through hoards of people. 

She was trying to get to class. Whoever noticed her coming stepped well out of her way. 

She had so much to do—an entire list, which she ran through in her mind. She should have written it down. She pushed the doors of the library open, scanning it for her groupmates. 

She was there to work on a project. That was the first to-do. Then she’d see what they could get done. Worst case scenario, they’d get one or two things out of the way, then she could pretend they’d gotten it all done and then do the rest herself. Her other homework should be relatively easy. The teacher had told her it would probably only take an hour, which meant she had to set aside at least two and a half—it always took her at least double time. The list went on and on after that. 

She found her group and sat down, slinging her backpack off her back and giving them a small smile. It was last period, she only had to make it through this—easy. 

“Okay,” said one of her groupmates—a brown-haired girl who always had something to say. “Let’s get to work, guys. Annabeth?” 

Annabeth slid her laptop out of her bag and set it on the table. She briefed them on what they needed to finish—not the minimum, but she’d definitely be able to give them more things to do if she needed to. They got to work, sometimes stopping to ask a question or grabbing each other’s computers to see what the other had written. It was fun, working with them—they weren’t lazy, or ignorant. They were fun and witty. But they didn’t compare to the people at camp. 

It was always like that--if the kids outside of camp were funny, the kids at camp were funny on steroids. Maybe it was the ADHD. 

She’d stopped typing. She tried to fish for her last thought—what was the last thing she wrote? She found it, and started again. 

Her surroundings faded away. She typed nonstop, getting wrapped up in the work. 

She was jerked out of thought by someone calling her name. One of her group partners. “Your phone’s ringing,” the girl said. How long had it been ringing? She didn’t even hear it. How embarrassing. 

“Thanks,” she said, taking it. The number was familiar, but she couldn’t name whose it was. She picked up, putting it to her ear and trying not to make eye contact with anyone in her group. “Hello?” 

“Annabeth.” It was Percy. It took her by surprise. A lightning bolt of feeling shot through her, from her heart to her feet. 

“Percy!” Her group members’ heads shot up. She ducked her head. “Isn’t this the camp landline?” she asked. 

“Yeah,” he said, his voice dimming. “There was a problem with a protector at school, Chiron asked if I could bring them to camp.” 

The brown-haired girl in her group was smirking. “Percy, huh?” 

“Shh,” Annabeth told her, standing. 

“Don’t take too long,” said a different groupmate. “We still need to finish this.” 

“Okay, I’ll be back, yeah. Give me a second.” She walked away, out of earshot, and put the phone back on her ear. “Oh, Percy,” she said. He’d sounded happy, but that couldn’t have gone over well. She knew he was sick and tired of demigod business. Honestly, she was too. 

“Yeah, I know,” he said. She tried to read his voice. He didn’t sound particularly angry. Only tired. “It’s okay now though. I’m here a little early, then.” 

She could picture exactly what he looked like then—hair a little messed, the faintest eye bags under his eyes. A small smile on his face, the one that meant that things had been shit for a long time but were looking up now. She wanted to reach through the phone and touch him, grab his face and tell him she loved him and watch the light trickle back into his eyes. Touch his soft hair and feel him hug her back. 

She couldn’t help herself—she was grinning like an idiot. “Oh, good,” she said, trying to muster back some self-control. Her voice had gone up two octaves. She hoped he couldn’t hear it. “I’m just heading out from school...” Her mind whirred and she made a split-second decision. “Maybe I’ll come tonight, too.” 

He let out a small breath, one to probably didn’t notice. He always held the phone so tightly and so close to his face when he talked to her, she could hear his small contented sigh. “Really?” 

Her heart was overflowing with contentment, leaking through the seams. If she was any weaker, her hands would tremble with the feeling. She laughed. “Awesome,” he said. The phone scraped material. It was a little muffled. “Awesome, awesome, awesome.” 

“Okay, I’ll see you tonight then.” 

His voice was breathy. “Yeah. Yeah.” 

She hummed, rolling onto the balls of her feet and back. “Okay. I love you.” 

“I love you.” 

She ended the call. 

Her groupmates were stealing glances at her as she walked back to the desk and sat down. She’d have to explain she wasn’t going to be here next week. _Because I need to spend time with my boyfriend. Don’t worry, you’ll understand when you see his mopey face._ The bell rang. __

_ __ _

Her group groaned. “Don’t worry,” Annabeth said. “I’ll finish everything. Leave it to me.” 

__

They thanked her as they got up. She didn’t know how she was going to finish it today and still make it to camp. She could finish it at camp, maybe. And send it to them. Did camp have wi-fi? Barely. She didn’t care. Really, she was still giddy from her call from Percy. It didn’t matter. She’d find a way. 

__

She left the library, trying not to look at brainless as she felt. She went through her list again, of everything she had to do—and mentally added _finish assignment_ and _find a ride to camp_. She put them in order, so she had a plan to follow. ____

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She would probably just ride an Uber to camp. Or a taxi. But she drove up there at least every other month for a weekend, and it was starting to get expensive. She could also take the bus, but that was difficult—she had to wait outside, and riding it wasn’t pleasant, with all the other people crowded inside. Stuffy and squished and smelly. 

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She came out of her thoughts, as if breaking through the surface of water. She startled, a little. She was standing in front of the door to her room, and she hadn’t processed one bit of the journey there. It was like her mind worked on autopilot, sometimes. 

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She wished she could control it, she thought as she pushed the door open and slung off her backpack. If she could go into her thought cloud and finish her assignment in an hour, that’d be great. But she knew it wouldn’t work that way. 

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She pulled out her laptop and sat down at her desk. Her room was a mess, but she would have to leave it that way—she didn’t have time to clean it. Plus, she wanted to meet Percy at camp as soon as possible. 

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She worked as best as she could on her assignment, but the traffic outside kept distracting her, even with the window closed. She was different from the others in her classes, in her group—they complained about getting distracted, but then they turned and got back to work. Her attention was like a living creature—slick and slimy, and almost impossible to get a hold of. She could almost feel it slide from thing to thing, working constantly, and she had almost no control over it except when she poured all her energy into keeping it in check. She was lucky if it behaved. 

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But there were some days when it behaved a little too much. When it dove deep, deep, deep, dragging her with it. Then she’d surface, five or six or seven hours later, and find her hands shaking from hunger and her eyes blurry with words. 

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She typed the final sentence in and clicked the enter key with gusto. It wasn’t the best work, but it was done, and now she could focus on getting ready for camp. 

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She stood and looked at her room, messy as it was. She didn’t know where to start, and it was dawning on her that it was just starting to get dark, and she had to be on the other side of New York before the sun disappeared. 

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She caught herself rubbing her father’s college ring, which she still kept on her camp necklace around her neck. She didn’t wear it every day, but she had today—a weird coincidence. 

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She pulled the beads up to her mouth. When she was younger, she’d gotten into the habit of putting them _inside_ her mouth; you could still see the chipped paint on her earlier beads. She didn’t put them inside her mouth anymore, obviously, but she liked the feel of them. It was a habit—almost a comfort gesture—she only let show when she was alone. Or with Percy. __

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She sat on her bed, then got up again, feeling restless. She took a breath and sat down in her desk chair again, turning to face the rest of her room. _Grab your things, pack them, catch the bus_. That was her plan. She just had to follow it, and she’d make it to camp. Then she’d see Percy. __

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She opened her closet and pulled out her clothes—she had so many camp shirts, she’d be able to wear them there. She threw the pile onto her bed, then grabbed anything else that she thought she might need, in no particular order, and added it to the mound of clothes on her bed. She admired her pile of things. 

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Percy always looked to her for information—about anything from monsters to trivia. He thought she had all the information in the world, and it was true, to some extent—she didn’t know everything, but she knew a lot, and she had an exceptional talent for bullshitting an answer to any question, no matter how foreign the concept. 

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_He thinks I'm organized_, Annabeth thought as she dumped the contents of her backpack onto the far side of her bed and started to shove her clothes inside. And compared to him, she was—Percy was the messiest, most ADHD demigod she’d ever met. And she’d met every half-blood in New York. She was ADHD too, of course, but she’d learned to hide it—to force herself to use a planner and do her homework and focus in class. Almost as a survival strategy, because she’d never had someone to find her a second chance like Percy had his mom. She got what she got, and whether she did good was up to her. __

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She zipped up her backpack. She was done. One step done on her mental to-do. She smiled to herself. Now she’d catch the bus, then she’d walk a little to camp, then _Percy_. __

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She couldn’t stop her smile. 

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* * *

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The bus picked her up late, but at least it was empty. 

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Annabeth dropped her coins into the receiver and took a seat. Night was falling quickly—it might be dark when she got to camp. She hoped Percy wasn’t asleep already. 

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She shouldn’t take long to get to her stop. Annabeth looked out the window, watching the blurry light and cars drive by. New York was beautiful, if you took the time to really look at it. It filled her with a feeling of deep warmth and wonder, like she was carving a tree; every mark she made would stay there forever. It soothed her, but also filled her with a wild feeling—she could change it however she wanted. She could mold and plan and build and it would stay there, for a long as the material held. It would take her an eternity to build everything she wanted. 

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The windows were dark. The bus was lit with fluorescent lights, so everything was cast in a stark off-white. The lampposts outside were getting farther and farther between, so Annabeth pulled the chord to stop. The driver pulled over, and Annabeth got out, throwing a _thank you_ over her shoulder. The bus drove off. __

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She stopped to take stock of where she was. It was halfway to being dark, she realized now that she was out of the bus. She could still see well ahead of her. 

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The smell of pine was in the air, and the earthy scent of the broken road. She was relatively close to the base of Half-Blood Hill, but she didn’t need to go that far—there was a small shortcut nearby she’d discovered a few years back. 

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She found it again, carefully avoiding tripping on roots. She cut through a few trees and walked quickly through the grass, aiming for the Big House. She could hear the crickets, but also the monsters in the woods, even far away. She walked faster, her neck tingling like she was being watched. 

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Annabeth opened the door of the Big House, yellow light spilling out into the night. She relaxed. It smelled like wood and strawberries. Home. 

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She stepped up the stairs, walking quietly down the hall. The door to her and Percy’s room was closed. She opened it gingerly. “Percy?” 

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Percy was sitting on the bed, illuminated only by a small lamp that sat on the bedside table. He turned and caught her eye. She turned on the bedroom light, stepping inside. 

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His shoulders dropped, a wide grin filling his face. “Annabeth.” 

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He stood and walked toward her, pulling her into a hug. She sighed, leaning her face against his shoulder and squeezing him tight. He smelled like rain on grass, like morning dew and sand. 

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She was giddy—her fingers buzzed, her heart soared. She pulled back, looking into his soft green eyes. She was right, before—there were the eyebags, there was that gentle look. She pulled him close and kissed him. He put his arms around her waist. Sparks shot through her core. 

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She felt him smile against her lips. She opened her eyes. “What is it?” 

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He shook his head, their noses almost touching. “I’m just so happy you’re here.” 

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She laughed. This was the happiest she’d been in a while. It was moments like these that made her not believe her luck. “I love you,” she said. She couldn’t mean it enough. _I love you, I love you, I love you_. She kissed him again. __

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He broke away, eyes a little wide. “Your bag,” he said. She was still wearing her backpack on her shoulders. 

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He helped her take it off her back and put it in the closet. He sat down on the bed against the headboard, leaving her a space beside him and calling her with a smile. She came, noticing his feet shifting on the mattress. He must be restless, much more than she was, after the entire protector ordeal he’d mentioned. She sat down beside him so their legs touched, leaning partially on his chest—she'd noticed he liked the pressure, and she felt safe with his arm around her. His legs stilled. She found his hand and weaved her fingers through his, sighing contentedly. 

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Annabeth yawned. She didn’t mean to, but she was so warm it was hard to help it. “How was your day?” 

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He hesitated, and she felt a pang of sympathy. “Better,” he said, “now.” 

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She looked at him. His smile was still on his face, though faded. He was looking away. “What happened?” she asked softly. 

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He told her about the satyr that had approached him at school, then their entire journey here, then the sad way the campers talked to him. Camp was his home, and this was how he was treated? It must have killed him. 

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He got to the part about fighting with the counsellor, and Annabeth understood. It was his _look_, the one he got when he got really into fighting, the one that made it hard to remember he was on your side. He had a dry grin, and an edge to his eye that tended to make people apprehensive. If she looked through the eyes of someone who didn’t know him, she admitted she might balk a little. __

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But she knew him. The people at camp knew him. Chiron knew him. They should know he wasn’t a bad person. He’d done so much for them. They should know. 

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“But,” he said, “it’s okay now.” 

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She looked into his eyes and tried to read them. “Yeah?” 

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He brought his face closer. His eyes shone. She decided she loved that edge. Like he was brimming with energy, boiling over with it. His eyes reminded her of a gleam of a knife in the dark—pure vigour and light and something she couldn’t express. She loved it. “Yeah,” Percy said back. “You’re here.” 

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She hummed, closing her eyes. He laid his head on top of hers. 

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She had trouble sleeping, most nights. She couldn’t get herself to stop checking for monsters, to stop being on edge. But here? With him close like this? 

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She was already dozing. 

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Here, she was safe. With him.

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End file.
